This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 11(1999)-365059 filed on Dec. 22, 1999, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to color imaging. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a color image analysis method.
A known image processing method for analyzing organic components of a resin-including compound involves placing such a compound as a sample material in a fluorescence microscope. Then, a light beam having a first predetermined wavelength is applied to the sample material and the resulting fluorescence produced therein is taken as a picture by a CCD (Charger Coupled Device) camera through an optical filter. Due to the fact that the phenolic plastic components of the sample material are close to each other with respect to the fluorescence wavelength, the aforementioned fluorescence corresponds to at least one of the phenolic plastic components of the sample material. The image taken by the CCD camera is converted into a binary picture or monochrome image as shown in FIG. 7(a) and the resultant image is stored, for later use, in an image processing device. The stored monochrome image is in the form of an intermingled structure of the two phenolic plastic components. The reason is that the foregoing two phenolic plastic components cannot be separated from one another when the image is taken by the CCD camera and so the intermingled structure is, as it is, converted into the monochrome image.
Next, another light beam having a second predetermined wavelength is applied to the sample materiel and the resultant fluorescence produced is taken as a picture by the CCD camera through another optical filter. This fluorescence corresponds to the aramid fiber component of the compound. The image is converted into a binary picture or monochrome image as shown in FIG. 7(b) and is fed to the image processing device.
Then, for purposes of image emphasis, the foregoing two monochrome images are painted with different pseudocolors as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b). In addition, an analysis of the aramid fiber component is made. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the distributed condition of all of the components of the compound is displayed by superimposing the image of the aramid fiber component on the image of the intermingled structure of the two phenolic plastic components.
However, in the foregoing analyzing method, when the image of the compound is converted into the binary picture which includes two compounds such as the two phenolic plastic components having closely valued fluorescence wavelengths, the resultant image is a monochrome image in which the two components are intermingled. Thus, individual analysis of each of the components is made rather difficult, if not impossible. As a result, analyzing the foregoing component intermingled image becomes insufficient or unsatisfactory.
Thus, a need exists for a way of establishing an individual analysis of each of the components forming the image of the compound.
In light of the foregoing, the present invention provides a color image analysis method involving forming an image based on a plurality of components and acquiring an image of each of the components by dividing the formed image on the basis of color-phase.
According to another aspect of the invention, a color image analysis method includes forming an image based on a plurality of components, and acquiring an image of each of the components by dividing the formed image on the basis of color-phase and brightness.
The total occupying area rate of regions of the divided image relative to the whole region of the formed image can be calculated. In addition, the method can involves calculating the occupying area of each of the regions of the divided image can be calculated and calculating frequencies of the occupying areas. In addition, the method can be carried out using a microscope.
With the present invention, because the image formed by the plural components can be divided into an image of each component on the basis of color-phase, it is possible to establish individual analyses of the characteristics of each of the plural components. Also, because the images formed by the plural components can be divided into an image of each component on the basis of color-phase and brightness, it is possible to establish individual analyses of the characteristics of each of the plural components. By calculating the total occupying area rate of each of the regions of the divided image relative to the whole region of the formed image, the content is analyzed by percent of each of the components. By calculating the occupying area of each of the regions of the divided image, the size of each region can be analyzed. Also, by analyzing the frequencies of the occupying areas of each of the divided image, the size distribution condition of the regions is analyzed and obtained. Further, through use of the microscope, the image formed by the plural components can be obtained comparably easily.
According to another aspect of the invention, a color image analysis method involves emitting light towards a target material containing a plurality of components to produce fluorescence in the target material, using the fluorescence to form an image based on the plurality of components and obtain a formed image having color-phase values, using differences between the color-phase values to distinguish a first one of the components in the formed image from a second one of the components in the formed image, and producing a separate image of each of the first and second components using the differences in the color-phase values.